It’s a severe indictment of the times we live in that hyper-political punks Propagandhi – who will celebrate their 40th anniversary next year – remain as relevant as ever. Though hailing from Canada, since their inception they’ve been one of the foremost critics of American imperialism, capitalism and militarism, and the far-flung, negative effects of those things on the rest of the world.
They would surely be glad to not have to write any more songs about the widespread devastation that the joint forces of neoliberalism and neofascism have had on the world, and instead hang up their guitars. Sadly, things now are as fucked-up and desperate as they were when the band formed in the midst of the Reagan and Thatcher administrations, and, on the whole, they’re only getting worse – especially, on a personal level, given Trump’s recent bluster about turning Canada into the USA’s 51st state.
And so, despite its title, Propagandhi find themselves very much not at peace on this eighth album. Their first since 2017’s Victory Lap, At Peace wrestles with the strange duality of going back in time historically while advancing in age. Frontman Chris Hannah is in his mid-50s now (though it’s hard to find out his exact age online), and he definitely sounds older – certainly in comparison to the band’s high-octane, rawer, earlier records, but even compared to Victory Lap his voice is much softer in its delivery.
The music is also less frantic, less agitated, less aggressive. That doesn’t mean it’s any less effective, though. In fact, that contradiction only increases the tension on this record. Just listen to the ominous chug of opener Guiding Lights or the menacing warning to the ruling class towards the start of the title-track that ‘Your reckoning has begun’, and you realise that Propagandhi are as powerful a force as ever.